Currently, the only way to verify that changes have propagated is to use the
GetChange API action. Changes generally propagate to all
Amazon Route 53 name servers in a couple of minutes. In rare circumstances, propagation can take up to 30 minutes.

Creating a Hosted Zone for the New Subdomain

When you want to use Amazon Route 53 as the DNS service for a new subdomain without migrating the
parent domain, you start by creating a hosted zone for the subdomain. Amazon Route 53 stores
information about your subdomain in the hosted zone.

Note

When you create a hosted zone, Amazon Route 53 automatically creates four name server (NS) records and a
start of authority (SOA) record for the zone. The NS records identify the name servers that you give to your registrar or your DNS service
so that queries are routed to Amazon Route 53 name servers. For more information about NS and SOA records, see
NS and SOA Resource Record Sets that Amazon Route 53 Creates for a Public Hosted Zone.

To create a hosted zone using the Amazon Route 53 console, perform the following procedure. To create a hosted zone using the Amazon Route 53 API,
use the CreateHostedZone action. For more information, see POST CreateHostedZone
in the Amazon Route 53 API Reference.

In the right pane, enter the name of the subdomain, such as apex.example.com. You can also enter an optional comment.
For more information about a field, see the tool tip for the field.

For information about how to specify characters other than a-z, 0-9, and - (hyphen) and how to specify
internationalized domain names, see DNS Domain Name Format.

Below the right pane, choose Create Hosted Zone.

Creating Resource Record Sets

You can create resource record sets using either the Amazon Route 53 console or the Amazon Route 53 API. The
resource record sets that you create in Amazon Route 53 will become the resource record sets that DNS
uses after you delegate responsibility for the subdomain to Amazon Route 53, as explained in Updating Your DNS Service with Name Server Records for the Subdomain, later in the
process.

Caution

Do not create additional name server (NS) or start of authority (SOA) records in the
Amazon Route 53 hosted zone, and do not delete the existing NS and SOA records.

Checking the Status of Your Changes (API Only)

Creating a new hosted zone and changing resource record sets take time to propagate to the Amazon Route 53 DNS servers.
If you used POST ChangeResourceRecordSets to create your
resource record sets, you can use the GetChange action to determine whether your changes have propagated.
(ChangeResourceRecordSets returns a value for ChangeId, which you can include in a subsequent
GetChange request. ChangeId is not available if you created the resource record sets by using the console.)
For more information, see GET GetChange in the Amazon Route 53 API Reference.

Note

Changes generally propagate to all Amazon Route 53 name servers in a couple of minutes. In rare circumstances,
propagation can take up to 30 minutes.

Updating Your DNS Service with Name Server Records for the Subdomain

After your changes to Amazon Route 53 resource record sets have propagated
(see Checking the Status of Your Changes (API Only)),
update the DNS service for the parent domain by adding NS records for the subdomain. This is known as
delegating responsibility for the subdomain to Amazon Route 53. For example, if the parent domain example.com
is hosted with another DNS service and you created the subdomain test.example.com in Amazon Route 53,
you must update the DNS service for example.com with new NS records for test.example.com.

Perform the following procedure.

Using the method provided by your DNS service, back up the zone file for the
parent domain.

In the Amazon Route 53 console, get the name servers for your Amazon Route 53 hosted zone:

On the Hosted Zones page, choose the radio button (not the name) for the hosted zone.

In the right pane, make note of the four servers listed for Name Servers.

Alternatively, you can use the GetHostedZone action. For more information, see
GetHostedZone in the Amazon Route 53 API Reference.

Using the method provided by the DNS service of the parent domain, add NS records
for the subdomain to the zone file for the parent domain. In these NS records,
specify the four Amazon Route 53 name servers that are associated with the hosted zone that you
created in Step 1.

Caution

Do not add a start of authority (SOA) record to the zone file for the parent domain.
Because the subdomain will use Amazon Route 53, the DNS service for the parent domain is not the
authority for the subdomain.

If your DNS service automatically added an SOA record for the subdomain, delete the
record for the subdomain. However, do not delete the SOA record for the parent
domain.